Geroy Simon checks out the LIons board in the war room.

Photograph by: Mark van Manen, PNG

More on This Story

KAMLOOPS — The question isn’t terribly complicated. The answer, as it often is with Wally Buono, is.

“No,” he answers quickly when asked if Geroy Simon is being groomed for an executive position with the B.C. Lions. “But he’s been given opportunities. His experience, his ability, his character are all positives. Would you like to see Geroy advance and get better? Yes. Why wouldn’t you? But I’m not saying he’s next in line. That would be wrong. But you want to have people like Geroy in your organization.”

Yes, that clears things up.

Simon, the Lions’ all-time leading receiver, is nicely into his second year of repatriation with the organization and while it’s hard to know exactly what his role is with the Leos, his presence in the football department raises some interesting questions. As of this writing, he’s in Kamloops as a guest coach working with wide receivers. When camp breaks, he’ll hit the road as the Lions’ director of Canadian scouting, even though much of his work will be at the NFL and NCAA level.

But at least he has a real job title. Last year, he was something called a player-business developmental adviser.

“It was kind of a made-up title,” Simon says, with a laugh.

Now, all this might sound confusing, but when you consider Simon’s employment record with the Lions, you see evidence of a plan. He’s getting a grounding on the business side, in player personnel, in coaching and scouting. Add that to his bona fides as a player, his work ethic and his football IQ, and the great receiver is putting together an impressive resume.

But for what job? And where?

“That’s the plan for me,” Simon answered when asked if he has front-office ambitions. “I’m not sure what the organization has planned or Wally has planned. They keep that stuff close to the vest. But I feel I have to grow, whether I’m here or someplace else. I’m happy where I am, but I’m not content to stay here. I’m going to continue to build my skill set, so I can move forward in this business.”

At least that part of the story is clear.

Simon is just three years removed from his playing days and no one can accuse him of taking the easy road, as he plots the next chapter of his life. He’s a road warrior, putting in the weary miles between scouting assignments. He invests hours in studying tape. He played a lead role in the Lions’ Canadian college draft.

Along the way, he’s started to build the relationships that are the foundation of the job. Simon says when he first started, the other scouts would barely acknowledge his existence. Now, he’s in the fraternity, a certified bird dog, and that gives him access to a higher level of information.

“A lot of people don’t realize how much we work hand-in-hand with the NFL guys,” he says. “We’re always trading info.”

Spend any time with him, in fact, and he sounds like a scout. He’ll extol the virtues of Lions first-rounder Charles Vaillancourt, the offensive lineman from Laval or Dillon Guy, another offensive lineman the Lions took in the fourth round. He’ll give you an honest assessment of Lavelle Hawkins, the wide receiver who retired at the start of training camp. He’ll tell you about alerting the New Orleans Saints to University of Manitoba defensive tackle David Onyemata, the player the Saints took in the fourth round of this year’s draft.

He’s into it. But for how long?

“I’ll never be that guy who sits and waits for someone to determine my future,” he says. “I’m always going to go out and look for the best situation. I’m going to do my job and make sure this team is put together the right way. But it’s a business. You have to handle what you need to handle.”

It’s a business. Interesting choice of words that because, in the four seasons since winning the 2011 Grey Cup, the Lions have struggled at the gate. Buono is also 66 and can’t go on forever.

Maybe Simon isn’t ready today, but give him a couple of years to complete his education then get back to us. You’ve got one of the most popular players in Lions history and a fresh new face to sell to this market. You’ve also got a football man who’s put in the work and learned his craft.

Sorry, are we missing something?

“Everybody wants to be me or John Hufnagel or Jim Popp, but we’ve walked a lot of miles in our shoes,” says Buono.

True, but they all started somewhere.

“If I owned a company, my son wouldn’t be the vice-president,” Buono continued. “He’d start in the storage room and work his way up. Eventually you’re going to get there, but you’re not going to get there until you’ve earned it. And when you do get there, you’ll succeed.”

Geroy Simon checks out the LIons board in the war room.

Photograph by: Mark van Manen, PNG

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.

Specific content such as articles, photos and images are subject to the copyright of their respective owners, including, without limitation, Postmedia Network Inc. All rights reserved. Unauthorized distribution, transmission or republication strictly prohibited.